I hear news of mergers and alarming predictions about AI. It seems like stock agencies are uncertain about their next steps.
Let me suggest a few ideas for stock agencies on how to attract contributors and retain clients:
Make it easy to contribute photos
Implement AI-powered categorization, keywording, and title generation - contributors are photographers, not writers.
Allow easy resubmission with changes - why punish contributors for mistakes?
Enable contributors to download their own portfolio images - you store them anyway.
Speed up photo acceptance - Use AI for faster and more consistent approvals.
Allow similar photos - Slight variations can be valuable to different clients.
Reduce technical restrictions - Accept high-quality smartphone photography.
Automate the review process - Replace human moderation with AI and provide detailed rejection explanations.
Stop playing with prices for both clients and contributors
Keep pricing simple: Sell for $2, pay $1 to the contributor - a straightforward and fair system.
Stay neutral - stop promoting specific contributors or styles
Don’t discourage young, talented photographers just because they lack history.
Avoid selling AI-generated images
You are undermining your own industry - historical footage and real photography are your most valuable assets, while AI-generated images will soon become free.
Thank you for reading.